Cigar pressing



J. A. DREHER CIGAR PRESSING Deca 13, 1966 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed May 9, 1962 INVENTOR JOHN A. DREHER PIC-3.2

AGENT Dec. 13, 1966 Y J. A. DREHER 5 CIGAR PRESSING Original Filed May 9, 1962 s Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR JOHN A. DREHER 5 Sheets-$heet 3 i R E Nw (7% m m M m i u Q A M, mm V i. F: L MI r m N 4 i H 3 w i W I iv! v 7 J U x W 3 i T T N i E i k m m P i I a. i Q t AGENT Dec. 13, 1966 Original Filed May 9 United States Patent C) 3,291,135 CIGAR PRlEEaSllNG John A. Dreher, Trucirsville, Pa, assignor to General Cigar Co., lino, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Griginal appiication May 9, 1962, Ser. No. 193,499, now Patent No. 3,189,033, dated June 15, 1965. Divided and this application Apr. 28, 1965, Ser. No. $56,693 3 Qllairns. (Cl. 131-211) This is a division of copending application Serial No. 193,499, filed May 9, 1962, now US. Patent 3,189,033, issued June 15, 1965. i

This invention relates to the manufacture of cigars and is more particularly concerned with a method for pressing or shaping cigars, more specifically for imparting fiat-sided characteristics to cigars normally formed with a circular cross-section.

In the manufacture of cigars, a tobacco filler is enclosed within a binder, and the resulting unit or bunch is then enclosed by a wrapper. While all cigars were originally made by hand, the use of machines is now widespread and the speed with which cigars can be manufactured has greatly increased. Numerous expedients have been introduced into the cigar-making art to facilitate machine manufacture and to increase further manufacturing speed. Most cigars made by machines have a generally circular cross-section throughout substantially their entire length but, in many cases, it is desired to impart to the cigars a permanent, generally flat-sided configuration. It is customary, for this purpose, to place the round cigars in shallow trays having rims of a height less than the diameter of the cigars and to stack the trays upon one another so that a downward compressing pressure can be exerted upon them, the trays being dimensioned to hold a predetermined number of cigars in abutting relationship. The application of downward pressure causes the upper and lower surfaces of each cigar to be flattened and the resultant lateral displacement of the bodies of the cigars against each other, and against the rim of the tray in the case of the two outermost cigars, causes the sides of the cigars to be flattened. However, this operation requires an excessively long time period. If the cigars were left in the trays for only a few minutes, or even only a few hours, they would spring back into substantially their circular shape upon removal from the trays. It is, therefore, necessary to keep the cigars in the trays under pressure for long periods of time, e.g., several days, in order to allow sufiicient time for the cigars to become set in their flattened shape. It will be readily apparent that this operation greatly extends the manufacturing time and nullifies to some extent the gains achieved by the use of machines in that the length of time from the moment the filler is first enclosed within the binder to the moment the finished cigar is finally packaged for shipment and sale is unduly prolonged. Furthermore, the placement and removal of the cigars in the trays involves substantial hand labor and large storage areas must be set aside for holding the stacked trays during the period the cigars are being shaped. This shaping or pressing operation is, therefore, generally incompatible with efficient economical manufacturing techniques and with the other relatively rapid operations which are now familiar in the cigar-making art. Up to the present time, however, this time-consuming, burdensome operation has been customary and has been tolerated for lack of any method or means for avoiding it, notwithstanding a long-existing need for improvement in this area.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for pressing or shaping cigars to impart to them 3,291,135 Patented Dec. 13, 1966 a generally flat-sided configuration in a rapid and efficient manner.

In accordance with his invention, there is applied to each cigar to be shaped a radially-inwardly directed pressure from four equally spaced directions and these pressures are applied to give the cigar a flat or preferably a slightly concave configuration on each of its four sides receiving the pressure. This presure is continuously applied for a predetermined period of time and then released. Upon release of the pressure, the sides of the cigar gradually spring out a little and the cigar finally assumes the desired, substantially flat-sided configuration. The apparatus for this operation comprises a compressing unit defined by an assembly of four radially movable jaw elements which have flat or preferably arcuate surfaces forming the four sides of an axial aperture which varies in cross-section in response to the radial movements of the jaw elements. The apparatus further includes means, suitably in the form of cams, for moving the jaws radially inwardly and outwardly in synchronism.

The apparatus of the invention is adapted for automatic operation when incorporated in a machine which continuously feeds cigars to be shaped and discharges the pressed cigars. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, therefore, a series of apparatus units of the construction indicated are mounted on an endless conveyor which brings them sequentially to a charging station where each compressing unit receives a cigar, a compressing station where the jaws of each unit are actuated to move radially inwardly against the cigar, a releasing station at which the jaws of each unit are acuated to move radially outwardly to release the pressure on the cigar, and a discharging station at which the shaped cigar is ejected from the compressing unit. The conveyor carrying the compresing units is, of course, actuated by any convenient means in timed relationship with suitable supplying means for introducing a cigar to the axial aperture of each unit as it is brought sequentially to the charging station and simultaneously with discharging means for removing a pressed cigar from each unit as it reaches the discharging station.

Other objects and features of the invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein,

FIG. 1 is an end elevational view of a compressing unit;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the unit shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view of the jaws of the compressing unit of FIGS. 1 and 2, taken along the line 33 of FIG. 2, showing the jaws in closed or compressing relationship;

FIG. 3A is a view similar to FIG. 3 but shows a modified form of jaws having flat surfaces 48A instead of the arcuate surfaces 48 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 3 but showing the jaws in open relationship;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cam plate which controls the movements of the jaw of the unit of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inner face of one of the two end walls of the unit of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the jaw-guiding slots;

FIG. 7 is a side elevational view of a machine for the continuous shaping of cigars utilizing an endless conveyor and a plurality of compressing units of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view, taken along the line 8-8 of FIG. 7, of the machine shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the same machine shown in FIG. 7; and

FIG. 9A is a partial view of only the charging and 3 discharging end of FIG. 9 modified to show different means for discharging shaped cigars from the machine.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 6, compressing unit 10 comprises two end walls 12 which are interconnected by lower horizontal brace 14 that has its ends fitted in grooves 15 and screwed to walls 12. FIG. 6 shows that each end wall 12 has a circular aperture 16 from which radiate four equally spaced rectilinear slots 18. At its bottom, each end wall 12 rotatably supports two rollers 20. Four jaws 22 extend between end walls 12 and each jaw is provided at each of its ends with a flat-sided protrusion or bead 23, FIG. 1, and a pin 24 which are both slidably fitted in one of the slots 18 in an end wall 12 to guide that jaw inwardly and outwardly in relation to aperture 16. Overlying the outer surface of each end wall 12 is a cam plate 26, which, as seen in FIG. 5, is formed with a central circular aperture 28 that is aligned with aperture 16 of the associated end wall 12. Cam plate 26 also has four arcuate slots 29 positioned around aperture 28, these slots bein-g dimensioned to receive pins 24 of jaws 22. Also overlying the outer surface of each end wall 12 is an end support plate 30 which is secured, as by screws, to its associated end wall 12 and which has a circular recess 33 in which a cam plate 26 is rotatably fitted. A circular aperture 32 in support plate 30 may have the same diameter as that of cam plate 26. Preferably, as illustrated, aperture 32 is of slightly smaller diameter than that of cam plate 26 and thus forms with circular recess 33 on the inner side of support plate 30 a circular lip that holds cam plate 26 against outward axial displacement.

FIG. 1 shows cam plate 26 at the limit of its clockwise rotation; in this position, pins 24, and thus jaws 22 to which they are attached, have been moved radially closer to the axis of central aperture 28. When cam plate 26 is rotated counter-clockwise, pins 24 are moved radially away from aperture 28 so that jaws 22 are in the open position illustrated in FIG. 4. By reason of their engagement in rectilinear radial slots 18 in end walls 12, pins 24 and associated jaws 22 will move radially inwardly or outwardly to decrease or increase, respectively, the size of the axial space 34 defined by the four jaws 22, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, which space is, of course, axially aligned with apertures 16 in end walls 12 and apertures 28 in cam plates 26.

To effect rotation of cam plates 26, there are provided lever arms 35 which are secured thereto, as by screws. Each lever arm 35 has an aperture 36 which is in alignment with the other apertures previously mentioned. In order to insure simultaneous movement of both lever arms 35, and thus to insure synchronized rotation of both cam plates 26, ends 38 of arms 35 are interconnected by rod 40 which, in the embodiment illustrated, supports rollers 42 adjacent each lever arm 35. The function of rollers 42, as well as that of rollers 20, will be described below. A reinforcing bar 43 also interconnects and is secured to lever arms 35 to insure accurate synchronized movement of the arms.

As will be seen from FIGS, 2, 3 and 4, each jaw 22 is formed with a central body portion 45 and end flanges 46 which carry pins 24. Jaws 22 must be able to withstand substantial forces tending to bend or how them outwardly when a cigar is being pressed. Jaws 22 can be of uniform thickness between end flanges 46 but, in order to reduce weight, they are preferably formed with a greater thickness at the center and this thickness tapers down toward end flanges 46 as seen in FIG. 2. The surface 48 of each jaw 22 which faces axial space 34 is preferably, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, outwardly arcuate or convex. All of the jaws may have the same width and the same radius of curvature but, as illustrated, one opposite pair may be wider than the other pair and may have a different radius of curvature from that of the other pair. The choice of variations in jaw width and surface curvature depends upon the dimensions desired in the finished cigar.

The arcuate slots 29 in cam plates 26 may be so disposed as to move radially inwardly one pair of opposite jaws 22 more than the other pair; in this way, the cross-section of the pressed cigar can be made generally rectangular rather than square. The distance of inward movement of each jaw 22 is controlled by the curvature of the arcuate slots 29 into which its pins 24 project and by the position of these slots relative to the axis of cam plate 26.

To use compressing unit 10 to flatten the sides of a cigar, it is merely necessary to introduce the cigar into axial space 34 while jaws 22 are in their radially outermost position, as shown in FIG. 4, through the aligned apertures at either end of the unit, and then to move the jaws radially inwardly into engagement with the cigar by forcing lever arms 35 to turn clockwise in FIG. 1. As will be apparent from the structure described, this is effected by acting upon rod 40 to cause cam plates 26 as seen in FIG. 1 to rotate clockwise. It will, of course, be understood that arcuate cam slots 29 are so positioned in relation to axial space 34 that the particular cigar to be handled will be accommodated. As is known, cigars of any style have a predetermined size and are all of substantially the same circumferential dimension. The jaws must be arranged, therefore, to accommodate the cigar in its initial form and to move a suflicient distance inwardly to compress the cigar. The distance of travel of the jaws toward each other and the curvature of their surfaces are factors in determining the time during which the cigars need to be held under compression. As a general rule, for a given distance of travel, the less the radius of curvature is, the more rapid the shaping will be, but the radius of curvature should not be so small that the cigar is so sharply compressed that it is damaged.

As already mentioned, different jaw widths, different radii of curvature of the jaw surfaces and differently curved cam slots are employed to give thecigar different lateral dimensions, e.g., to form a cigar having a thickness of /2 inch and a width of inch. It is a feature of the compressing unit that the jaws and/ or cam plates can be readily removed and replaced by jaws of other widths and radii of curvature and/or cam plates with different arcuate slots. With jaw curvatures such as those shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, round cigars can be given a flat-sided configuration by holding them under compression in axial space 34 for as little as 18 to 20 seconds. In an illustrative case in which a substantially cylindrical cigar is pressed to give it flat sides measuring approximately /2 inch in thickness and inch in width, the jaws and the associated arcuate slots in the cam plates are constructed to permit the jaws to move apart to a point at which the dimensions A and B shown in FIG. 4 between the innermost of the opposed surfaces of each jaw pair is inch and to permit the narrower lateral jaws to move inwardly to a point at which the dimension A is reduced to /2 inch and simultaneously to permit the wider vertical jaws to move inwardly to a point at which the vertical dimension B is reduced to 4 inch. The cigar to be shaped has a circular cross-section with a diameter of inch.

As previously indicated, an important practical aspect of the compressing unit of this invention is that a plurality of such units can be combined with an endless conveyor so that each unit is passed through a series of stations at which it first receives a cigar, is closed to compress the cigar, is opened to release the cigar, and has the cigar discharged from itbefore it returns to the initial charging station to repeat the cycle. It will be apparent that the conveyor, the charging means, the closing means, the opening means, and the discharging means may take various forms. There is schematically shown in FIGS. 7 to 9 an illustrative system for effectively utilizing the above-described cigar compressing units in a continuous cigar pressing operation, but it will be understood that many variations may be made in the system illustrated.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 to 9, an endless conveyor is formed from a pair of chains 50 carried about a pair of sprocket wheels 52 and 53 at opposite ends, the latter pair 53 being driven from any convenient source of power, e.g., an electric motor, through Geneva gear 55 which serves to impart to the conveyor a regular intermittent movement. A plurality of compressing units are engaged with conveyor chains 50 throughout their entire length and, for this purpose, each unit 10 is suitably fastened to brackets 60, FIGS. 1, 2 and 8, which are connected to chains 50. It will be seen that the end of each compressing unit 10 visible in FIG. 7 is opposite the end seen in FIG. 1. Consequently, the jaws open upon clockwise rotation of lever arm 35 visible in FIG. 7 and close upon counter-clockwise rotation of the lever arm. Along the upper run of chains 50, there are provided side rails 62 parallel to the chains to receive rollers 28 of compressing units 10 in order to relieve the chains from the weight of the units in this part of the machine. It will thus be seen that as chains 50 move with clockwise rotation of sprocket wheels 52 and 53 shown in FIG. 7 they carry compressing units 10 with them but the units roll on their rollers 20 along rails 62. In FIG. 7, when a compressing unit 10 is at charging station C its jaws are open to receive a cigar. As this unit leaves charging station C, its jaws must be closed in order to apply the desired compression to the cigar which has been charged into the unit. For this purpose, there are provided two cam rails 64 which are disposed above chains 50 in a position to engage rollers 42 on connector rod 40 of each unit 10 in order to pivot lever arms 35 and their associated cam plates counter-clockwise and thus to move the jaws inwardly in the cigar-pressing position. Leading ends 66 of cam rails 64 are gradually tapered in order to effect gradual closure of the jaws of the compressing unit that has been just charged with a cigar. Cam rails 64 continue throughout the upper run of the conveyor and thus positively hold the jaws closed. A similar pair of cam rails 68 engage rollers 42 along the lower run of the conveyor to hold the jaws shut. A pair of side rails 63 parallel to the lower run of chains 50 is disposed to receive rollers 20 of compressing units 10 in this part of the machine and thus relieve the conveyor chains of this load.

Before each compressing unit 10 reaches charging station C at the left end of the machine as seen in FIG. 7, it passes to discharging station D at which the shaped cigar is removed. Before the unit reaches station D, the compression must, of course, 'be relieved by opening the jaws. Accordingly, fixed bumpers 70 are positioned to engage the lower portions 72 of the two lever arms of each unit to cause these arms to rotate in a direction to open the jaws, which is clockwise as viewed in FIG. 7. Bumpers 70 are of a length to hold the jaws of units 10 open while these units are in dischcarging station D and charging station C.

Feeding of the cigars to charging station C is conveniently effected by means of a second conveyor 75 which is driven by gearing (not shown) in synchronism with conveyor chains 50 but in the opposite direction. Two conveyor chains 75 carry a series of channels 77 which are of a suitable size to hold a single cigar. When the two conveyors are stopped during the intermittent periods of rest controlled by Geneva gear 55, a channel 77 is in alignment with a compressing unit 10 at charging station C. Channels 77 are loaded with cigars by any convenient means 78 such as a hopper at the right-hand end of the machine as seen in FIGS. 7 and 9.

In order to charge the cigars into units 10 and to discharge them after they have been shaped, plungers 80 and 81 are provided, although it will be understood that other charging and discharging means may be used. Plunger 80 is positioned to move through the channel 77 stopped at charging station C until the cigar therein has been pushed into axial space 34 of the compressing unit 10 at station C. In view of the fact that the compressing units are open at both ends, a back-up plunger 82, aligned with plunger 80, moves simultaneously but in the opposite direction but only so far as to stop the injected cigar and thus position it properly along the length of axial space 34 in unit 10. Discharging plunger 81, on the other hand, is positioned to move in the direction of back-up plunger 82 but to pass through axial space 34 of the compressing unit It stopped at discharging station D and thus to eject the pressed or shaped cigar. A chute 96 receives the discharged cigars and they are removed by any convenient means. As schematically shown in FIG. 8, plungers and 81 are moved by pivoted arms 83 and 90, respectively, which are actuated by cams wheel 85 containing cam track 88 to effect the desired movement of each plunger in synchronism with the movements of the two conveyors. Cam wheel 85 is driven through gearing (not shown) by the same power source which drives Geneva gear 55. A portion of machine frame 87 is shown as providing the bearing support 89 for cam wheel 85. Arms 83 and 90 have their pivot bearings 84 and 91, respectively, also supported by frame 87. Arm 83 has a cam roller 86 riding in cam track 88 and is pivotally connected at its lower end 93 to tie rod 92. The other end of rod 92 is pivotally attached to arm 90 at an intermediate point 94.

It will thus be seen that compressing units 10 are efiectively utilized for the rapid and continuous shaping of cigars and that they may be readily integrated with cigarmaking and cigar-packaging machinery to eliminate the laborious and time-consuming pressing operation which has been conventional. It is no longer necessary to store cigars in pressing trays for long periods of time from the moment they have been manufactured to the moment they can be packaged.

It will be understood that various changes and modifications can be made in the embodiments which have been described without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. For example, the compressing unit may have an aperture in only one of its end walls for receiving and removing cigars. In such case, as shown in FIG. 9A, plungers 81 and 82 are not used in the continuous pressing machine and the shaped cigar is removed from the compressing unit by a suction tube 84 having a concave cap 85 on its end conforming with the end of the cigar. This suction tube is positioned at discharging station D and moves in the manner of plunger 80. Flexible hose 86 connects tube 84 with a suitable vacuum source (not shown). Accordingly, the foregoing description shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not as limitative of the invention defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of shaping a cigar into a generally fiatsided configuration, which comprises applying uniformly and simultaneously to the entire length of said cigar radial- 1y inwardly directed uniform pressure simultaneously from four substantially equally spaced directions, holding said cigar under said pressure for a predetermined period of time to substantially set the configuration of said cigar, and then releasing said pressure to leave said cigar shaped in a generally flat-sided configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said pressure is applied to make each of the four sides of said cigar receiving said pressure concave,

3. A method of pressing a generally cylindrical cigar to form thereon four substantially flattened sides, which comprises applying pressure uniformly and inwardly and simultaneously against the entire length of said cigar simultaneously along four substantially equally spaced radii, continuing the application of said pressure to make each of the four sides of said cigar receiving said pressure concave, and then releasing said pressure, whereupon the four concave sides of said cigar gradually straighten out to four substantially flattened sides.

(References on following page) 7 8 References Cited by the Examiner OTHER REFERENCES UNITED STATES PATENTS 19{autz: German6 app. No. 1,050,258, pub. February 5,

9, 131-8 331333 ggfiijjjjjjjjjjjj'f 3;; Haa b z German app. No. 1,083,735, pub. June 15, 1960, 641,336 1/1900 Schultz 131-26 5 class 1726927 9 /1929 Shaffen Burger: German app. No. 1,089,316, pub. September 1,880,825 10/1932 Corces 131 s3 15, 19608095513147- 2,064,965 12/1936 Will.

FOREIGN PATENTS 382,072 9/1923 Germany. 131,583 5/1929 Switzerland.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

10 H. P. DEELEY, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF SHAPING A CIGAR INTO A GENERALLY FLATSIDED CONFIGURATION, WHICH COMPRISES APPLYING UNIFORMLY AND SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF SAID CIGAR RADIALLY INWARDLY DIRECTED UNIFORM PRESSURE SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM FOUR SUSBTANTIALLY EQUALLY SPACED DIRECTIONS, HOLDING SAID CIGAR UNDER SAID PRESSURE FOR A PREDETERMINED PERIOD OF TIME TO SUBSTANTIALLY SET THE CONFIGURATION OF SAID CIGAR, AND THEN RELEASING SAID PRESSURE TO LEAVE SAID CIGAR SHAPED IN A GENERALLY FLAT-SIDED CONFIGURATION. 